4 held for CRPF heckling; DGP praises restraint

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday confirmed that it has started “vigorous investigation” after registering an FIR on a complaint filed by the CRPF over a video clip that shows its jawans being heckled and physically attacked by a group of youth in Chadoora area of the state’s Budgam district on April 9. Police sources said that four people have been arrested so far.  

The incident took place during the re-poll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. The Commandant of the CRPF’s 144 Battalion based in Srinagar filed the complaint before the city’s Shaheedgunj police station which alleges that its men were abused and assaulted “with the intention of criminal assault to cause grievous injury to government employee and obstruction in government duties/ election duty”. The CRPF’s Inspector General Ravideep Singh Sahi had earlier said, “During investigation, we found that the video is authentic. We have identified the company of the force involved and the location of the incident.”

J&K’s DGP Shesh Paul Vaid lauded the restraint shown by the CRPF jawans while being heckled, hit and kicked by the youth. He said, “I admire the patience of the CRPF jawans. Any armed force in the world would have retaliated with force. It would have led to death of those ruffians.” He said that the Chadoora police station has started vigorous investigations and that those involved in the incident would be dealt as per law.

The police chief said that an FIR has also been lodged in case of another video which showed a security force personnel shooting directly in the head of a stone-pelting protestor outside a polling station in same area.

“A case has been registered in connection with that incident also. It is a matter of investigation and action will be taken against whoever is found guilty,” he said.  

Meanwhile, yet another amateur video has surfaced on social media showing CRPF jawans being heckled by a group of visitors inside Srinagar’s Mughal Nishat Gardens on Baisakhi.